Biometric bed configuration

• US 8,266,742 B2
• Filed: 12/06/2010
• Issued: 09/18/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 12/06/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Hill-Rom Services Incorporated (Baxter International Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Hill-Rom Services Incorporated (Baxter International Inc.)
• Inventors: Andrienko, Kirill
• Primary Examiner(s): Santos, Robert G
• Application Number:
  US12/961,064
• Publication Number:
  US 20120137436A1
• Time in Patent Office: 652 Days
• Field of Search: 560/0, 561/1, 561/3, 5616-618, 542/4, 340/573.1, 340/286.07
• US Class Current: 5/600
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/1115 Monitoring leaving of a patient support, e.g. a bed or a wheelchair
• CPC Class Codes: A61G 2203/30 characterised by sensor means
• CPC Class Codes: A61G 2205/60 using magnetic or electronic identifications, e.g. chips, RFID, electronic tags
• CPC Class Codes: A61G 7/002 having adjustable mattress frame
• CPC Class Codes: A61G 7/018 Control or drive mechanisms
• CPC Class Codes: A61G 7/0507 Side-rails
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 40/63 for local operation
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 50/20 for computer-aided diagnosis, e.g. based on medical expert systems
• CPC Class Codes: G16Z 99/00 Subject matter not provided for in other main groups of this subclass

Abstract

A bed has one or more electronically-controllable features. Input-output devices are used by persons to control the electronically-controllable features. A biometric input-output device obtains biometric data from persons who desire to control one or more of the electronically-controllable features. The bed may restrict access to or modify one or more of the electronically-controllable features based on the biometric data.

Claims

1. A bed system, comprising

a bed having at least one electronically-controllable feature,

a biometric sensor operably coupled to the bed, the biometric sensor being configured to receive a first input from a user,

a non-biometric input device operably coupled to the bed, the non-biometric input device being configured to receive a second input from the user to activate an electronically-controllable feature of the bed, and

a controller operably coupled to the bed, the biometric sensor, and the non-biometric input device, the controller being configured to analyze the first input and output a control signal to enable or disable the non-biometric input device based on the first input.

2. The bed system of claim 1, wherein the controller uniquely identifies the user based on the first input.

3. The bed system of claim 1, wherein the controller identifies a characteristic of the user based on the first input.

4. The bed system of claim 3, wherein the controller determines whether access to an electronically-controllable feature of the bed should be enabled or disabled based on the characteristic of the user.

5. The bed system of claim 1, wherein the controller determines whether the user is a patient or a caregiver based on the first input.

6. The bed system of claim 1, comprising a communication link operably coupled to the controller to provide data representative of the first input to a healthcare information system and to provide data relating to the user from the healthcare information system to the controller.

7. The bed system of claim 6, wherein the controller determines whether access to an electronically-controllable feature of the bed should be modified based on the data from the healthcare information system.

8. A bed system, comprising

a bed having at least one electronically-controllable feature,

a biometric sensor operably coupled to the bed, the biometric sensor being configured to receive a first input from a user,

a non-biometric input device operably coupled to the bed, the non-biometric input device being configured to receive a second input from the user and being operable to activate or deactivate an electronically-controllable feature of the bed in response to the second input, and

a controller operably coupled to the bed, the biometric sensor, and the non-biometric input device, the controller being configured to analyze the first input and determine based on the first input whether to activate the electronically-controllable feature of the bed in response to the second input.

9. The bed system of claim 8, wherein the biometric sensor is integrated with the input device.

10. The bed system of claim 8, wherein the biometric sensor is spaced from the input device.

11. The bed system of claim 8, comprising at least one of a siderail and an endboard coupled to the bed, wherein the biometric sensor is mounted to one of the siderail and the endboard.

12. The bed system of claim 8, comprising a pendant controller coupled to the bed, wherein the biometric sensor is mounted to the pendant controller.

13. The bed system of claim 8, comprising a second biometric sensor, wherein the biometric sensor is mounted to the bed at a first location, the second biometric sensor is mounted to the bed at a second location spaced from the first location, the second biometric sensor is configured to receive a third input from a user, and the controller analyzes the third input to determine whether to activate an electronically-controllable feature of the bed based on the third input.

14. A bed system, comprising

a bed having at least one electronically-controllable feature,

a biometric sensor operably coupled to the bed, the biometric sensor being configured to receive a first input from a user,

a non-biometric input device operably coupled to the bed, the non-biometric input device being configured to receive a second input from the user, and

a controller operably coupled to the bed, the biometric sensor, and the non-biometric input device, the controller being configured to analyze the first input, modify an electronically-controllable feature of the bed in response to the first input, and initiate operation of the modified electronically-controllable feature in response to the second input.

15. The bed system of claim 14, wherein the controller determines whether the user is a patient or a caregiver based on the first input and configures the electronically-controllable feature based on whether the user is a patient or a caregiver.

16. The bed system of claim 14, wherein the non-biometric input device comprises a graphical user interface, the controller determines whether the user is a patient, a caregiver, a visitor, or another person based on the first input, and the controller configures the graphical user interface based on whether the user is a patient, a caregiver, a visitor, or another person.

17. The bed system of claim 14, wherein the controller determines a characteristic of the user based on the first input and configures the electronically-controllable feature based on the characteristic of the user.

18. The bed system of claim 14, wherein the electronically-controllable feature is a bed articulation feature, the characteristic of the user indicates that the user has a health condition, and the controller adjusts the bed articulation feature based on the health condition.

19. The bed system of claim 14, wherein the electronically-controllable feature is a support surface feature, and the controller adjusts the support surface feature based on the characteristic of the user.

20. The bed system of claim 14, wherein the controller automatically adjusts at least one of a time parameter, a speed parameter, an articulation parameter, a length adjustment parameter, a width adjustment parameter, and an alarm parameter relating to the electronically-controllable feature based on the characteristic of the user.